Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DUAL CHAMBER SALAD CONTAINER
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the food service industry, it has long been desirable to delay mixing
certain
food ingredients together until just prior to consumption. The service of
fresh green salad
is one such example. Dressing added to the salad just prior to its consumption
advantageously preserves the freshness, crispness, and distinctive taste of
the greens,
croutons, and other rough ingredients that are susceptible to dressing
absorption. All too
frequently, dressing is applied to roughage too early resulting in a drenched,
wilted, and
limp concoction than is rejected by consumers as inferior. When ordering a
Caesar salad,
for instance, it is traditional for the salad dressing to be prepared
tableside and then
rapidly tossed with the other ingredients such as romaine lettuce and croutons
for
immediate transfer onto a diner's plate for enjoyment. Tableside preparation,
however, is
costly and time consuming and not particularly well suited to the fast-food or
high
volume food service industries.
Consumers, restaurateurs, the fast-food industry, and institutional food
preparation services continue to demand food products that are high quality,
convenient,
quick to prepare, and economical to produce. Fast-food outlets, for example,
frequently
offer salads in the form of rough ingredients such as greens, croutons,
radishes,
cucumbers, carrots, meat and/or cheese combined together in a disposable
individual
container. The salad dressing, however, is frequently offered in a separate
packet that
requires cumbersome handling and opening before the contents therein are
squeezed out
onto the roughage. Typically, the roughage container also includes a lid that
must be
removed before the packet contents are added thereover. Once the dressing is
squeezed
onto the roughage, implements such as a fork, spoon or knife individually or
in
combination, are then used to distribute the dressing throughout the roughage.
The action
required of the implements to evenly distribute the dressing often results in
substantial
amounts of ingredients and dressing disadvantageously overflowing and tumbling
out of
the container onto the table, the clothes of the consumer, and, not
infrequently, onto the
floor.
Schools and other high volume institutions provide similar individual holding
containers for salad roughage. The salad dressing, however, is frequently
offered in a
separate portion cup to be added atop the salad greens. Similarly, to
thoroughly distribute
the dressing among the roughage requires use of implements resulting in
spillage and
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mess. Moreover, both dressing packets and cups are costly and inconvenient and
require
significant dexterous manipulation to use.
Large commercial eateries often separately store salad roughage in large
plastic
bins and dressing in other containers until it is desirable for both to be
combined and
mixed together just prior to serving. Once the desired dressing and roughage
containers
are located and opened, the dressing is poured onto the roughage.
Alternatively, and
depending on the size of the dressing container, the roughage may be
introduced to the
dressing. In either case, use of implements to toss the salad and distribute
the dressing
soon follows with its attendant and disadvantageous spillage, waste and mess.
From the
salad remaining in the mixing container, individual portions are then
distributed onto
individual plates and served.
There thus exists a long felt need for an improved salad container that
eliminates
the need to store, in separate containers, large ingredients such as salad
roughage apart
from smaller or liquid ingredients, such as salad dressing, until mixing them
together is
desired. It has been further long desired that a container be provided to
eliminate the
need to use mixing or tossing implements and the undesirable spillage, waste
and mess
resulting from use thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Generally, the present invention comprises a salad container having a
container
body with an open top, an exterior surface and an interior surface defining a
cavity, the
cavity divided into an upper chamber and a lower chamber by a selective
barrier secured
to the interior surface of the body to selectively exclude relatively large
ingredients such
as salad roughage from entry into the lower chamber and to provide passage
therethrough
of relatively small food ingredients, such as granular ingredients including,
for example,
ground pepper and/or liquids such as salad dressing, into and out of the lower
chamber.
In at least one embodiment of the present invention, the barrier is integrally
secured to the body. In another embodiment, the barrier is releasably secured
to the
body. Each of the embodiments may include a detachable lid which may be used,
for
example, to close the container body when desired for storage of contents
therein and/or
for inverting the container passing the contents of the lower chamber into the
upper
chamber and shakingly mixing together the contents of both chambers without
need of
implements.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent from the following detailed description which taken in conjunction
with the
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accompanying drawings, further describes and illustrates by way of example the
principles of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention wherein
the barrier is formed as an integral part of the container body;
FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of the present invention wherein the
barrier is formed as part of the container body;
FIG. 3 is cross sectional view along the lines depicted in FIG. 2 with added
salad
roughage in the upper chamber and added dressing in the lower chamber;
1o FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention
wherein
the barrier is secured to the interior wall of the container body;
FIG. 5 is an offset cross sectional view along the lines depicted in FIG. 4
through
two of the three barrier retainers with added salad roughage in the upper
chamber and
added dressing in shortened lower chamber;
FIG. 6 is an inverted view of the cross sectional view of FIG. 5 showing the
dressing gravitationally flowing into the upper chamber;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention wherein
the barrier is secured beneath a deformable rim in the interior surface of the
container
body; and
2o FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view along the lines depicted in FIG. 7 with
added
dressing in the lower chamber.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, generally designated by the numeral 10 is a
preferred embodiment of the salad container of the present invention. The
container of
this embodiment is sized for an individual salad comprising a rectangular-
shaped unitary
container body 12 having an imaginary central vertical axis, an open top, an
exterior
surface 14 and an interior surface 16 defining a cavity 18, the cavity divided
into an
upper chamber 20 and a lower chamber 22 by a selective barrier 24 having an
opening
comprising a grid of interconnected trough depressions defining the lower
chamber.
3o The upper chamber 20 is laterally defined by a nearly vertical radially
contiguous
body wall having an interior wall surface 26 comprising four interconnected
panel
surfaces 28, 30, 32, and 34, the interior wall surface terminating in height
in a contiguous
rim 36 having a horizontal rim surface 38 and an inner and outer rim edge 40
and 42
respectively, the interior wall surface tapering inwardly on descent and
terminating in a
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radially contiguous interior wall bottom surface 44. Integrally secured to the
interior wall
bottom surface is a plurality of upwardly facing barrier surfaces including a
perimeter
barrier surface 46 and six interior barrier surfaces 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, and
58 integrally
connected to the trough depressions therebetween, the crossing trough
depressions
isolating the barrier surfaces from one another, the grid opening cooperating
with the
barrier surfaces to form the selective barrier 24.
The troughs are arranged in parallel and perpendicularly crossing
configuration,
each trough having opposing longitudinally parallel interior surface top edges
60 and 62
connected to adjacent barrier surfaces and positioned sufficiently apart by a
distance 64
1o to selectively exclude relatively large ingredients, such as salad
roughage, from entry into
the lower chamber and to provide passage therethrough of relatively small food
ingredients, such as granular ingredients, including, for example, ground
pepper and/or
such as liquids, including, for example, salad dressing, into and out of the
lower chamber.
In the present embodiment, the distance across opposing parallel interior
surface trough
edges is about one fourth of an inch. This distance may be varied depending on
the size
of ingredients desired to be thwarted from entry into the lower chamber.
Extending from the exterior surface 14 of the underside of the body 12 is an
optional stand 66 to support the container at rest on a .level surface. , In
alternative
embodiments, the stand may be omitted, the body thus resting directly on the
exterior
surface 14 of the trough bottoms (not shown). The omission of a stand. may
also provide
for close nesting together of multiple containers. The container of the
present invention
may be reused or may be discarded, the opening formed by the grid of troughs
providing
easy access to the lower chamber for cleaning.
Referring to FIG. 3, a cross-section of the present preferred embodiment is
shown
representing salad roughage being supported in the upper chamber 20 and
dressing
residing in at least three troughs of the lower chamber 22 in a storage
configuration, the
selective barrier surfaces blocl~ing entry of roughage into the lower chamber
and
desireably preventing the roughage from lying in the dressing and becoming
soaked and
wilted thereby. The relatively small ingredients or dressing may be preloaded
into the
lower chamber 22 before the roughage is added, may be injected into the lower
chamber
beneath the roughage, may be added on top of the roughage, or may
gravitationally flow
from the lower chamber into the upper chamber once the container body is
inverted as
desired. The lower chamber also may provide a reservoir for the collection of
liquid such
as water from freshly washed roughage or excess dressing as desired.
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.Alternative embodiments of the container body may utilize, for example, one
or
more upwardly facing barrier surfaces and at least one opening cooperatively
forming the
selective barrier. For example, in one alternative embodiment (not shown), the
upwardly ,
facing barrier surface may be limited to a central island surrounded by an
annular trough
defining the lower chamber, the opening to the lower chamber and the upwardly
facing
barrier surface cooperatively forming the selective barrier. More
specifically, the
embodiment includes a cylindrically shaped body with an open top having a
downwardly
extending body wall turned inwardly at its bottom to form a stand and upwardly
terminating in a radially contiguous inner wall, the inner surface of the
inner wall apart
1o from and facing in opposition the interior surface of the body wall
defining an annular
lower chamber, the inner surface of the inner wall having a radially
contiguous inner wall
top edge, the inner wall top edge being integrally secured to the perimeter of
a single
centrally positioned upwardly facing barrier surface, a single surrounding
opening
formed between the inner wall top edge and the interior surface of the body
wall and
cooperating with the barrier surface to provide a selective barrier to exclude
relatively
large ingredients from entry into the lower chamber and provide passage
therethrough of
relatively small food ingredients into and out of the lower chamber. In
another
embodiment (not shown), the selective barrier includes an opening comprising a
depression configured in the form of a spirally configured channel defining
the lower
chamber, the spiral channel having a pair of channel walls with channel top
edges, the
channel top edges being connected adjacently to a spirally configured upwardly
facing
barrier surface.
The container of the present invention 10 may also include a lid (not shown)
to
cover the cavity 18 for covered storage of roughage and dressing therein
and/or for
shakingly mixing the contents therein together without use of implements.
Distribution
of dressing throughout the roughage may be provided without use of implements
and the
attendant spillage and mess caused by usage thereby, by flipping over and
shaking the
covered container and its contents, the dressing from the lower chamber 22
flowing into
the upper chamber 20 and being shakenly distributed throughout the roughage as
desired.
The lid may be configured, for example, as a domed or flat snapably securable
resilient
cover or may be foil or plastic film sheeting or other varieties as are known
in the art.
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, is shown an alternative embodiment of the present
invention. Shown is a container 110 having a cylindrical downwardly tapering
container
body 112 having an exterior surface 114 and an interior surface 116 defining a
cavity 118
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and including a securable lid 113, the cavity divided into an upper chamber
120 and a
lower chamber 122 by a selective barrier 124 releasably secured to the
interior surface of
the body by three barrier retainers 125, 127, and 129 formed on the interior
surface of the
body, each retainer having an upper portion 131 and a lower portion 133. The
selective
barrier includes an upwardly facing barrier surface 147, and a plurality of
openings 149
therethrough of sufficient dimension to selectively exclude relatively large
ingredients
such as salad roughage from entry into the lower chamber and to provide
passage
therethrough of relatively small food ingredients, such as granular
ingredients including,
for example, ground pepper and/or such as liquids, including, for example,
salad
1o dressing, into and out of the lower chamber.
In the present embodiment, each opening is bounded by a vertically tubular
inner
wall having a diameter of about one fourth of an inch. This distance may be
varied
depending on the size of ingredients desired to be thwarted from entry into
the lower
chamber 122. The barrier may alternatively be configured to include inner
walls defining
the barrier openings in a variety of configurations including slotted forms,
upwardly or
downwardly projecting nozzles, and/or other shapes known in the art.
The barrier retainers 125, 127, and 129 may be in the form of small ribs,
nodes,
bosses, or protrusions each having a notch 135 between the upper and lower
portions 131,
133, the barrier 124 and the body 112 being sized and configured with
sufficient
2o cooperative flexibility for the barrier to be press fit into the notches
securing the barrier in
position dividing the cavity into the upper chamber 120 and lower chamber 122.
The
barrier and body are also cooperatively configured to provide for the removal
of the
barrier by grasping the barrier through at least one of its openings with
fingertips or a
small hooked implement (not shown). A gripping post (not shown) or other
removal
enhancing feature may be formed on the upwardly facing barrier surface 147 as
desired.
Removal of the barrier provides for ease of cleaning, ease of reuse, and for a
container
body that may be converted, as desired, to use without the barrier dividing
the cavity into
upper and lower chambers.
The upper portion 131 of each barrier retainer functions to retain the barrier
124
3o in operable position preventing it from prematurely dislodging when the
container body
112 is inverted. Alternatively, the container body may be provided without the
lower
portion 133 of each retainer should the barrier be sized with a barrier edge
151 to
sufficiently interfere with the downwardly tapering interior surface 116 of
the body at a
location just beneath the upper portions of the retainers and above the bottom
of the
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lower chamber 122. Optionally, the interior wall of the body may be formed
with a
retaining annular slot for securing the barrier. Alternatively, the barrier
may be
permanently secured to the interior surface of the body at securing points on
the interior
surface of the body wall or may be releasably or permanently secured
circumferentially at
the barrier edge to the interior surface by methods and apparatus known in the
art.
Although optional, it is not required that the barrier edge be sealingly
secured to the
interior surface of the body. Alternatively, at least one opening may be
located only
through the barrier edge. Optionally, the barrier may include only a single
opening for
passage of dressing or small ingredients into and out of the lower chamber.
Additionally
optionally, the salad container may configured in the form of a kit comprising
the
container body and the releasably securable selective barrier.
Referring to FIG. 6, the container 110 is shown inverted, the dressing in the
lower
chamber 122 shown gravitationally dripping through the openings in the
selective barrier
124 and over the roughage contained in the upper chamber 120. Alternatively,,
the
optional lid may not be deployed, the container body 112 being invertible
directly onto a
plate with roughage and dressing in the upper and lower chambers respectively,
the
dressing gravitationally flowing onto the roughage from the lower chamber of
the
inverted body, the body being removable away from the contents when desired.
Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, a larger commercial sized container 210 is shown
2o having a container body 212 with an open top, an exterior surface 214, and
an interior
surface 216 defining a cavity 218, and including a securable lid 213 to cover
the open
top, the cavity divided into an upper chamber 220 and a lower chamber 222 by a
selective
barrier 224 releasably secured to the interior surface of the body by an
annular barrier
retainer 261 formed on the interior surface of the body, the retainer having
an annular
upper rim 263 and an annular seat 265 formed to secureably receive the
barrier. The
selective barrier includes an upwardly facing barrier surface 247, and a
plurality of
openings 249 therethrough of sufficient dimension to selectively exclude
relatively large
ingredients such as salad roughage from entry into the lower chamber and to
provide
passage therethrough of relatively small food ingredients, such as granular
ingredients
including, for example, ground pepper and/or such as liquids, including, for
example,
salad dressing, into and out of the lower chamber.
The container of the present invention may be formed, for example, from
polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, or other plastics by methods known
to those of
skill in the art. Other materials, such as, for example, rigidized paper or
pulp materials
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may be employed as would be known in the art. Metal, such as, for example,
stainless
steel or aluminum may also be employed as desired. The components of the
present
invention may also be made from differing materials. By way of example, the
container
body may be made of stainless steel and the barrier may be made of plastic
material.
Configurations of alternative embodiments of the present invention may vary
considerably. The shape of the container body, for example, may be round,
oval, square,
or other shapes as desired and known by those skilled in the art. The upper
and lower
chambers too may be of varying sizes and shapes as desired.
The salad container of the present invention may also vary in size for use in
1o individual and/or commercial and institutional configurations. Moreover,
the salad
container of the present invention is not limited to containing and storing
salad
ingredients, but may also be used to contain and store other foodstuffs
separately in the
same container until ready for consumption. For example, cooked pasta may be
stored in
the upper chamber of the present invention and pasta sauce separately in the
lower
chamber. These foods may be mixed together when desired from the same
container as
described for salad materials desirably preserving the distinctive flavors of
the foods in
the separate chambers of the container until ready to be consumed.
Having described only typical forms and applications of the present invention,
it
is not intended that the invention be limited to the specific details herein
set forth. While
a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will
also be
apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made
without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is not
intended that
the invention be limited except by the appended claims.
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